Tag: Cats

Editors Note: As you know I have a soft spot for calicos, and this particular one, with her abundance of Catty-tude, reminded me a lot of Bella. She’s available for adoption through PAWS.

PAWS SPPS: Hi Kitty Boo Boo. It’s a pleasure to speak to you today.

KBB: Thank you.

PAWS SPPS: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

KBB: Like what?

PAWS SPPS: Well, for a start how old are you?

KBB: A lady never tells, but the people at PAWS will probably say I’m between 2 and 4 years old. I’m a grown up kitty, and while I’m a bit of an old soul, I’m not an old cat.

PAWS SPPS: What do you like?

KBB: Treats. Cat trees. Being in charge. Head and chin scratches. I sometimes like laps.

Kitty Boo Boo is a fan of head scratches.

PAWS SPPS: What don’t you like?

KBB: I’m not crazy about other cats, especially the rambunctious boy cats we’ve had recently. I also don’t like when people touch certain spots on my back and near my tail. Most of the time I’m pretty sweet, but that really upsets me. And I like to have some personal space and healthy boundaries.

PAWS SPPS: How long have you been at the South Philly Petsmart?

KBB: Hmm.. maybe a month and a half. I’m kind of tired of it here, to be honest. I mean, the people are nice, but I need some new digs.

PAWS SPPS: Gotcha. What kind of home would you like?

KBB: I think I’d like someplace quiet, where I can be in charge. I’m a calico, you know, and we’re great at being in charge. I’d like to live with people who get that I’ve got my own way of doing things, and that it’s probably better than your way.

PAWS SPPS: What should someone do if they’re interesting in adopting you?

KBB: First come visit me at the South Philly Petsmart. Then fill out an application and put down that you’re interested in me. The PAWS people will get in touch with you in a bit to check you out and see if we’re a good fit. Then you can come pick me up. Don’t forget a carrier and my adoption fee.

The adoption fee for adult cats is $64.80. Please note that the South Philly Petsmart location can’t process credit cards or checks, so bring cash.

On Tuesday, I took Bella to the vet. She had stopped eating or drinking, and she seemed really lethargic. Tests revealed that she had pancreatitis and her kidneys weren’t working. They kept her overnight and gave her fluids and medication, but she was in a lot of pain and her kidneys were getting worse.

I held her in my lap and pet her, and eventually she started purring. When I lifted her off my lap again so that the vet could do what was necessary, I saw that she’d shed all over my lap. I was taken back to the day I met Bella. She was living in a foster home. She sat on my lap and purred as I pet her, shedding and covering me in shed hair. It was a strangely fitting set of bookends for a consumate lapcat.

I will miss her enormously. I will miss how she would insist on being near me, even following me around the house. I will miss her cranky old lady meow. I’ll miss the way she nibbled onalll the plants I’d try to grow, and the way she’d look at me expectantly when I ate string cheese. I’ll miss taking her for walks and I’ll miss the way she kept trying to teach me to be a proper cat. There is so very much I’ll miss about her, and maybe one day I’ll be able to write about it without it hurting, but I’m not there yet.

I never knew how old she was or where she came from or how she ended up on the streets. I just know that Bella was very simply the bestest cat ever.